Weddings

"(Sarah) was wonderful to work with and she went over and above to capture everything we asked for and more. Sarah managed to capture lovely scenes of everyone. Sarah's approach is personable, she listens and genuinely wants you to relax and enjoy. She helped us create a once in a lifetime memory and we will forever be grateful." - Hester & James

The elegant, relaxed backyard wedding of Danielle and Adam

The overarching theme of Danielle (Dani) and Adam's elegant and relaxed backyard wedding was family. The love was in every part of their day from the tiny details (all family dogs depicted in their cake topper!) to the venue itself (formally a tennis court!).

Dani, a school teacher, and Adam a baker, were married at their home in Lisarow on the beautiful Central Coast of NSW, Australia. They live in a sprawling house with various family members in separate sections. Dani got ready on the top floor and Adam got ready on the ground floor. Their mix'n'match wedding party featured Dani's brother as "Bro of Honour". As with a lot of their wedding day, it was not a matter of deliberately bucking tradition, but what suited Dani and Adam best.

Dani's parents and family spent the previous year preparing the lush bush gardens for their wedding ceremony and reception. The ceremony was held on a gently curved timber bridge with a peaceful pond as backdrop. Their marquee reception was a relaxed affair, pitched where a tennis court previously stood.

The couple designed and styled their wedding themselves, resulting in a truly personal event. Sunny yellow sunflowers matched beautifully with navy dresses for the ladies, with navy suits for the gents. The vintage feel carried through with suspenders, flat caps, pocket watches and bowties.

"My biggest fear was missing parts of the wedding and not having photos to capture what we missed... I am so very pleased with all our photographs and how well Sarah documented the whole afternoon/night!" Dani said after their wedding.

The wedding reception unfolded at it's own pace with no set timings. Everyone went with the flow which resulted in a stress-free time for all.

The food was most definitely a hit with the guests. An antipasto-style grazing table greeted them straight after the ceremony. Later everyone helped themselves to fish and chips served in little cardboard boxes. Salads went for days, which was followed by slow cooked beef brisket. Dani and Adam's wedding cake was an ice cream scoop cake; with a do-it-yourself sundae bar for dessert (fun for children and adults alike!).

"I did not even know Sarah was there during the reception which was amazing! Rather than being in your face and trying to take a million and one portraits I was able to enjoy my reception and have genuine and authentic memories of the night.".

As the sky darkened, the night sparkled with fairy lights, heartfelt speeches and lots of dancing.

If you are planning a relaxed garden, wedding I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to look at my Lucalia Photography wedding photography. I am based in the lush Wairarapa region, north of Wellington in New Zealand.

I hope you enjoy this backyard DIY wedding as much as I enjoyed documenting it. Thanks so much to Dani and Adam for inviting me to share it with you!

If you are planning a relaxed garden, wedding I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to look at my Lucalia Photography wedding photography. I am based in the lush Wairarapa region, north of Wellington in New Zealand.